


Zukka Alone

by renkan



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:08:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26131678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renkan/pseuds/renkan
Summary: Several years after Fire Lord Ozai has been overthrown, Zuko is navigating life as the new leader of his nation. With Sokka there for support, will he be able to manage all of his responsibilities?Will feature members of the Gaang.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 80
Collections: Avatar: The Last Airbender





	1. Chapter 1

“Uh, Zuko? Are you listening?” Aang waved his hand back and forth in front of Zuko’s face. “Earth to Zuko!”

Zuko snapped his head back toward Aang. “Don’t do that,” he said, fists pounding against the table between them. He paused for a moment and sighed. “Yes, I’m listening.”

Aang continued on with his explanation of the game he was making up. Something about using bending to keep a ball in the air. It fell on deaf ears though because Zuko was, in fact, not listening. His gaze kept creeping off to the side of the room where Sokka crouched over some sort of weapon he was crafting. Well, “weapon” was a generous description. He had taken a knife to a long stick and was whittling it down to a point on one end.

It was a hot day. Even with the door to their makeshift housing and all shutters open, it was suffocating inside the clay walls of the building. Zuko assumed some earthbender had constructed the small one-room house, but whoever had done it definitely didn’t account for how hot this region could get during the summer. He wished there were at least three more windows to let in a breeze. If Toph were with them, it would be an easy enough fix, but instead the only earthbender with them was Aang. For whatever reason, he refused to bend open the walls enough to create new windows. He said it was something about respecting the integrity of the original building. Nonsense, if you asked Zuko.

“And since the ball is made of metal, no one will be able to actually bend the ball. They’ll have to keep off the ground another way! Obviously, this game won’t work with Toph.” Aang seemed very pleased with himself as he went on explaining his new game.

“This sounds like a game for kids,” Zuko argued.

“It is!” Aang exclaimed.

“Hey,” Sokka called from a few feet away. Zuko looked over at him quickly, muscles poised to jump. “Keep it down over there, I’m trying to focus.” Zuko let out a breath. Sokka wasn’t calling for help, he was just chastising them.

Zuko had been on edge constantly since he became Fire Lord. Not necessarily because of the new title, but because of what gaining that title had meant. His father was overthrown, and his sister was in prison.

He knew objectively that he could trust Aang and the rest of their crew, but it was still painful to think about betraying his own family. Even if it was the right thing to do. He’d betrayed Uncle Iroh more than once, and he’d learned a very difficult lesson upon doing so. What if betraying his father would end with a similar result? The whole ordeal had made him skittish, ready to jump up and fight at a moment’s notice, despite it having been several years since the leadership change and all related betrayals.

He pushed the thoughts aside. For now, he could focus on the task at hand. The task at hand being the ridiculous game Aang was making up.

“I think there should be a point system, what do you think?” Aang had pulled out a piece of parchment and was sketching what looked to be a playing field on it.

“You’re much better at having fun than I am, you know. I’m not sure I can really help with this. Plus, Sokka can’t play a game that requires bending,” Zuko said.

Aang’s brows pulled together and his mouth twisted in thought. “Oh yeah...”

“Oh, come on,” Sokka said with a grunt. He stood from where he was working away at the stick and walked over to the table. He stuck the point of his newly made weapon directly into the packed dirt that made up the floor of this house. “You’ve been a part of the Gaang for long enough now. You’ve had plenty of time to lighten up. I just know you can have fun.” Sokka leaned over dramatically to point a finger at Zuko’s face.

Zuko felt his ears turn hot and looked away. “Well, I don’t agree. No amount of time with you guys will change the fact that I lack the inherent ability to enjoy myself. I just don’t have that gene.”

“Of course you do,” Sokka yelled as he slung an arm over Zuko’s shoulders. “What we need is a night out on the town.”

Aang didn’t look disappointed at all that his newly created game was being abandoned. “A night out! That sounds perfect Sokka!”

“I’m a genius, right?” Sokka wiggled his eyebrows at the other boys.

Zuko groaned as loudly as he could to make sure they got the hint that he wasn’t excited about this. “What could we even do on a night out in this town? There’s nothing to do, it’s just a tiny village.”

“Hey, the Southern Water Tribe was a tiny village and we still knew how to party,” Sokka argued.

“Oh yeah? And how exactly did you party?” Zuko asked.

“Well,” Sokka hunched over, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck, “it was mostly penguin sledding related activities.”

“I don’t imagine they have very many penguins around here.” Zuko waved an arm toward the open door as if to remind him that they were in the middle of the hot, humid Earth Kingdom.

“Okay so what’s the Earth Kingdom equivalent of penguin sledding?” Aang asked, finger tapping his chin. “I got it! Let’s go to Omashu and ride the delivery chutes!”

“Omashu is a three-day ride by ostrich horse,” Zuko reminded him.

“Drats.”

“Oh, I know!” Sokka exclaimed. “We could play hide and seek tonight! But with the whole village as our playground.”

“That just sounds like another kid’s game,” Zuko said.

“Yeah,” Aang agreed. “That sounds fun!”

Zuko slapped his palm to his forehead. He hadn’t meant it as a compliment.

“Relax, Zuko,” Sokka said, all his earlier confidence back in full. “It’s fine to just have fun every once in a while.”

“If it makes you feel better, we can call it stealth training,” Aang chimed in.

Zuko sighed and rolled his eyes. “If you guys want to play pretend that our lives are like any of the people that live in this village and we can just play games all day long, then fine, I’ll play along. Just for tonight.” He had meant it to come across as harsh, but he was actually a little excited to play, and that had definitely shown through in his voice.

“Great! It’s decided, hide and seek in the dark.” Aang clapped his hands together and completely abandoned his ball, letting it roll off the table and onto the floor.

“Now that that’s decided, I’m gonna get back to my new spear now.” Sokka walked back over to his little corner of the room and started back in on his stick.

Zuko watched him, though Sokka was facing the opposite wall. Sokka’s sleeveless top was pulled tight against his skin because of how he was crouched, allowing Zuko to just make out the light definition in his back muscles as they moved to work on whittling the “spear.” He still had his hair pulled back in its usual style, although it was a bit longer on the sides now.

They had been traveling through the Earth Kingdom for a couple of weeks now. Katara had insisted that the boys needed a vacation together, no girls, no distractions. The no girls rule likely had to do with the fact that both Zuko and Sokka had been broken up with by their respective partners. Mai had told Zuko she needed to be with her family, and she didn’t have the time to give Zuko the attention he needed. Zuko wasn’t sure how Suki had broken it off with Sokka, and he didn’t ask.

Of course, Aang and Katara were still going strong. The extended time apart hadn’t seemed to cause any emotional stress between the two. Aang still sent letters via messenger hawk every day to let her know what they were up to. When he received letters back, albeit less frequently than they were sent, he would reread Katara’s words all day, giggling and smiling to himself. It made Zuko sick to the stomach.

When nightfall eventually came, the group ventured outside. The evening air was much cooler, but it still felt thick with humidity. Crickets chirped their nightly song at the edge of the village, perhaps nervous to get too close to the stomping feet of the people here.

“I’m starting to regret agreeing to this,” Zuko said. He looked around to check if anyone was out and about to witness the Fire Lord playing a child’s game. His scar would be a dead giveaway of who he was, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to deny it. Luckily, it looked like most people had closed their doors and shutters for the night, candlelight spilling out between the cracks.

“If I hear one more complaint from you, I’m gonna extend this vacation by three more weeks and force you to have even more fun,” Sokka said.

Zuko clamped his mouth shut.

“So,” Aang began. “Here’s the rules. One, no bending allowed. This is a stealth game not a fighting game. Two, you’re allowed to run from the seeker, getting tagged is how you lose. Three, I want to be the seeker first!”

“That last one isn’t a rule,” Zuko pointed out.

“It is now!” Aang grinned as big as he could. “Okay, I’m going to count to fifteen, both of you get hiding.” Aang began the countdown.

Zuko felt a little embarrassed about taking the game so seriously, but when he saw Sokka jet off without a second thought, he decided to run for it too.

He darted to the right, towards the center of the village. He remembered a spot he’d seen earlier in the day where he could easily climb onto the rooftop of a tea shop. This village might have been small, but every town deserved a tea shop.

By the time he got there, Aang had certainly finished counting and would be on the search. Zuko scrambled on top of the crates he had spotted and pulled himself onto the roof. He knew he could use firebending to push himself up, but he thought it was more fair to honor the rules since Sokka couldn’t bend.

Surprisingly, when Zuko rolled over the edge onto the roof of the small shop, Sokka was already there, lying   
flat on his belly.

“Hey! This is my spot,” Zuko said in the loudest whisper he dared.

Sokka shot him a glare and put a finger to his lips. Zuko quieted down and crawled over next to Sokka. Neither of them dared to peak over the edge to see if Aang was coming. The good thing about this, Zuko guessed, was that if he was spotted, Sokka would also be spotted and Aang could only chase one of them.

Zuko was keenly aware of how he and Sokka’s arms were pressed together. The air was thick and muggy, and both of them had started to sweat during their sprint to the hiding spot. Sokka’s skin was smooth and gleamed in the moonlight. With the sudden realization that Sokka‘a ex-girlfriend, Yue, was able to see them, he jerked his body to the side so that they no longer touched.

Actually, he didn’t really know if she could see them, if she was sentient and present in the physical world in that way. He didn’t want to risk it anyway. It wasn’t worth it to torture himself all night thinking about how someone might have witnessed them being that close together.

Suddenly, the sound of a tree limb snapping caused Zuko to jerk his head to the side. Sokka heard it too and leaned as close to the edge of the roof as he could get without being seen. Sokka looked back and made eye contact with Zuko, motioning for them to jump over to the next roof. Zuko nodded and crawled over the edge of the roof before getting to his feet and jumping to the next building as quietly as possible. Sokka followed.

When they both righted themselves on the next roof, they looked up directly into Aang’s eyes.

“Ha ha!” Aang yelled. “You’ve fallen for my trap!” Without a second’s delay, he rushed towards Zuko and Sokka. The two hiders scrambled away as fast as they could, Zuko a bit faster than Sokka.

Down the side of the building and into the street they went, feet pounding into the dusty earth. Sokka was following Zuko, but Zuko knew he would have to lose Sokka and Aang both if he wanted to win. While once Sokka had been a sort of insurance, he was now a liability.

Zuko zig-zagged through the village, squeezing between buildings and through alleys, trying to find a new spot to hide. Sokka was no longer behind him, and Zuko had to assume he had been caught. He finally found a spot with thick bushes at the side of a house. He ducked into the foliage and held his breath. At least here he had a good view of the road. He kept his eyes peeled, searching for any movement that might indicate Aang was coming.

“I see you!” a voice cried from around the corner. Zuko shot up to see that Aang was coming straight for him. He must have seen through the shrubbery.

Right as Aang reached out to tag him, Zuko jumped backwards, barely missing his touch. He knew Aang was still too close though and shot fire from his fists to propel him even farther.

When he landed though, he was immediately wrapped up in Sokka's arms. They had tag-teamed him.

“Gotcha!” Sokka shouted. Zuko’s face heated immediately at the realization that Sokka was essentially hugging him. This close, Zuko could make out the tiny details he had never been able to before. Sokka had a small scratch on his forearm. It had scabbed over, but it was obvious Sokka had been picking at it. If given the time, at this close of a distance, Zuko could’ve counted each hair on Sokka’s arms.

Before he fully realized what was happening, it was over. Sokka spun Zuko around to face him.

“Gotcha,” Sokka repeated.

“That’s cheating!” Zuko said. “The rules didn’t say you could help Aang when you got caught.”

“Yeah, but the rules explicitly said no bending, so...” Sokka trailed off. “I think we’re even.”

The earlier fascination with seeing Sokka that close had faded. “I knew we shouldn’t have played this stupid game,” Zuko grumbled.

Aang approached the two with hands up. “Hey, hey, it was all in good fun.” He patted Zuko on the back. “I never would’ve seen you there if Sokka didn’t point you out. The game would’ve gone on for an eternity if he hadn’t helped me.”

Zuko felt a little embarrassed about his outburst. He knew it was just a game, but he couldn’t help but feel frustrated, and he wasn’t exactly sure why. “Fine.” He whipped back towards the house they were staying in and stalked away towards it.

“What’s up with him?” he heard Sokka say to Aang.

“I’m not sure,” Aang replied.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to head back home after a much-needed vacation.

It had been two awkward-silence-filled days since the hide and seek game. The end of their trip was nearing, and the group was packing their meager belongings onto Appa’s back. The flight back to the Fire Nation capital would take a day or two, but before long, they’d be home.

While Zuko had an obligation to spend most of his time in the capital, Sokka and Aang had no such responsibilities. Aang was spending most of his time in the Earth Kingdom these days. He felt it necessary to help rebuild after the Fire Nation troops ceased their occupation. Sokka often traveled with him to help, but as of a few months ago, he was staying with Zuko, claiming he was exhausted from constantly playing a diplomat. He’d said he much preferred watching Zuko squirm under the gaze of his nation.

He wouldn’t admit it aloud, but Zuko actually quite enjoyed Sokka’s company. It felt almost like the old days. Before they dethroned his father, that is. In between meetings with council members and other world leaders, Sokka would often lounge around his quarters with Zuko, finding some game to play or prank to pull. He definitely laughed more when Sokka was around than when he wasn’t, and he could appreciate that.

Zuko was a little worried about getting back to the palace to find an empty bed, though. He knew that family was important to Mai, and he reluctantly appreciated her honesty in breaking up with him, but he valued her companionship. He wasn’t sure how he’d fair being all alone, even if Sokka was there to help fill up his time. Nothing could replace a warm embrace from someone you loved late at night.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Zuko continued his task of carrying things over to Appa. The boys hadn’t brought much, but they had accumulated a few souvenirs. Well, mostly Sokka had been the one shopping for souvenirs. He bought a new bag that tied around the waist, a dangerously ugly yellow rug, and a few smaller trinkets. Zuko smiled as he patted the rug that he had just tied down in Appa’s saddle.

“Well, this is everything,” Aang said as he approached.

“I’m not gonna lie, I’m gonna miss flying around the Earth Kingdom doing nothing and relaxing with you guys,” Sokka said as he climbed onto Appa’s back.

“And how is that different from what you normally do?” Zuko asked, a trademark scowl on his face.

“Hey! I do stuff! Really important stuff!” Sokka shouted, scooting close to point an accusing finger at Zuko’s face.

“Sure.” Zuko rolled his eyes but cast Sokka a sideways glance and a smile. With that, the awkwardness that had filled the air since Zuko had stormed off the other night had vanished.

“If you guys are ready, let’s go! I can’t wait to see Katara. This is the longest amount of time we’ve spent apart. It’s agonizing!” Aang threw a hand over his heart and feigned falling over.

“If getting in the air will make you stop talking, then let’s go,” Zuko grumbled.

Aang laughed, yelled the required “Yip, yip!” and they were off. Sokka and Zuko laid out across the saddle while Aang sat at the reins.

“You know how everyone got their field trip with you?” Sokka said after a few minutes of flying. “You even eventually took Toph to a wrestling match.”

“Yeah, sure. Why?” Zuko replied.

“I’m just saying, I think it’s time I got another field trip.” Sokka looked over at him from where he lay. “It would be fun to go off and do something together!”

“We do plenty together at the palace.”

“No, not the boring political stuff,” Sokka argued. “Oh! Maybe I can teach you sword fighting.”

“That doesn’t require a field trip. We can do that on the grounds of the palace.”

“I guess, but that doesn’t sound very fun.”

“Plus, I have firebending, and I already know how to use dual swords,” Zuko reminded him. Memories of being the Blue Spirit returned to him.

“Man, you really know how to shoot a guy down, huh? Never mind, no field trip.” Sokka let his head fall back onto the saddle with a loud thump.

Zuko felt a little guilty. He hadn’t meant to hurt Sokka’s feelings, but what he was suggesting was ridiculous. They just spent several weeks together, why would he want to take a trip again? On top of that, they’d be spending plenty of time together back at the palace. Sure, lots of Zuko’s time would be monopolized by being the leader of an entire nation, but they would certainly have down time and meals they could spend together. Being near Sokka was definitely appealing to Zuko, but at a certain point, it would probably become too much. They would need their own space and going on yet another vacation together might strain their friendship.

Luckily, the monotony of being together all the time would be broken up eventually. Toph was meant to visit at some point in the near future, and at the end of the year, everyone would get together for a celebration. Everyone had their own responsibilities that took them all over the world, but they all made sure to see each other often. One such time was their yearly celebration during the winter solstice. It was only the beginning of summer, but Zuko was already looking forward to it.

Sokka wasn’t spending time at the palace with Zuko just for fun, he was also helping quite a bit. Especially now with Mai gone, who helped out when she could, Zuko could really use an extra set of hands. Someone had to be willing to meet with Fire Nation citizens when Zuko was otherwise occupied. Sokka was serving as his right-hand man, and he seemed happy enough to do so.

After several hours of flying, and the sun low on the horizon, the group decided to stop for the night to get some rest. Appa eagerly went for some nearby foliage to chew on as soon as they landed.

“No need for a tent, it’s still crazy hot out. We’ll just suffocate ourselves,” Aang said, unfolding his sleeping bag and laying it out across a patch of grass. He didn’t even get inside, just laid on top.

“I agree,” Sokka said, following suit.

Zuko did the same, laying his sleeping bag out several feet away from each of the other boys. They didn’t even bother to eat anything before bed, they’d had some snacks while flying, and everyone was exhausted.

Zuko couldn’t sleep right away, but he eventually found himself drifting off.

In his dreams, he and Sokka were sitting on a beach. Aang was in the ocean, riding a giant turtle duck. Zuko noticed that Sokka had let his hair down, and it fell over his face. Sokka blew the strands away, then looked over to Zuko and laughed. Slowly, his laugh became more high-pitched and quiet, and his face slowly changed. Now, Mai looked back at Zuko and placed a gentle hand on his cheek.

“I love you, Zuko,” Mai said, but her face was like a cloud. Once Zuko could finally see the shape of it, it was changing again, morphing into something else.

“Mai?” Zuko called. He reached out, desperate to touch her. “Sokka?”

“What?” Sokka’s voice said. Zuko shot up, his eyes open now, his dream a foggy memory. He had rolled over in his sleep, much closer to Sokka now than he was when he first laid down, his bag abandoned nearby. Sokka was watching him. “What?” he repeated. “You said my name.”

A blush raced across Zuko’s cheeks “Did I?” he asked. “I must have been dreaming...”

“Well, okay,” Sokka said, unconcerned. “Good night then, I guess.”

“Night,” Zuko mumbled before going back to his sleeping bag.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the boys start to settle back in at home, Sokka realizes that Zuko may be overworking himself. Will a night out be enough to get Zuko to loosen up?

The crew landed at the front gates of the Fire Nation palace the next evening. They hadn’t made any more stops, Aang desperate to get back to Katara. It was late, and everyone was groggy, but they managed to hold themselves together long enough to unpack Zuko and Sokka’s things. Zuko groaned as he realized he’d have to find somewhere to display that awful rug Sokka had bought. 

Aang decided to stay the night in the palace before he would jet off again the next morning to go see Katara. She was currently residing in Ba Sing Se, doing what she could to hold everything together there. The Dai Li had been completely disbanded and rebuilt during the months following the war, but there were still lurkers who were loyal to Long Feng despite his failures. The kingdom needed to present a strong front against these sympathizers, and it was difficult to accomplish when there was originally no leader in place, what with the Earth King off travelling the world. There had been many months spent debating who would be the Earth King’s successor since he had no children of his own. There were cousins, siblings, aunts, uncles, the list goes on of people who felt they had a claim to the throne. 

To everyone’s surprise, the Earth King returned to claim the throne once again, claiming that his time of travel had taught him much about the world. He felt he finally understood what his people needed. Now, Katara and Aang were working closely with the king to help redirect the trajectory of the kingdom. 

Zuko had once thought about stepping down as Fire Lord and allowing the people of his nation to decide for themselves who would rule after centuries of his family being in charge. It was Mai who had told him that there was so much change in the world right now. Everyone would appreciate a little stability. She was right, of course, that the chaos that would ensue if he made that decision would far outweigh any good Zuko thought it might do. There was too much history, his family too entrenched in the leadership of the Fire Nation. Hopefully, in the generations to come, his successors, his children and their children, could enact this change he so desired.

Zuko knew that Aang would probably spend much of the rest of his life in the Earth Kingdom salvaging what was left of it. Sure, he would also spend time in the Southern Water Tribe, both because of his personal loyalties and the need to help rebuild, but the Earth Kingdom was where he was really needed. For better or worse, the Fire Nation was intact. There was still tension between those still loyal to Ozai and those who desired a new era, despite the years that had passed, but Zuko felt confident that he would be able to handle it. He would show his people what it meant to lead with peace in mind and kindness in his heart. He tried not to think too long about how Mai was meant to be by his side during this, help him lead this land. 

The morning after their arrival back in the Fire Nation, Aang was gone before he even ate breakfast. While the romance between Aang and Katara made Zuko gag at times, he still felt a little twinge in his heart at the thought of Aang rushing off as quickly as possible to go see the love of his life. Zuko internally cringed at his own thoughts. Love of his life? He thought he may be getting a little too sappy for his liking. 

With their little vacation out of the way, the duties of ruling a nation came back in full force. Zuko was in meeting after meeting for the next week. He barely saw Sokka, barely saw anyone at all, outside of those meetings. He was up late drafting new proposals for how they could assist the Earth Kingdom. One advisor had mentioned that a small group of Ozai loyalists were discovered in the heart of the capital. The sound of his father’s name still made him flinch. Another problem to add to the long list.

It was nonstop for so long that Zuko began to lose track of the days. His only break was when he finally allowed himself to go to sleep at night after hours of work. 

One evening while poring over the latest budget update, a knock came on his chamber door. 

“Yes?” Zuko called, not looking up from where he was hunched over a desk. 

“Zuko?” He recognized the voice as Sokka’s and put down his quill. 

“Come in,” Zuko said, standing from the spot he’d been sitting all day.

The door creaked open as Sokka sauntered inside, a tray in his hands. “I heard someone say you haven’t left your room at all today. I thought you might be getting hungry.” Sokka’s voice was gentler than normal. Zuko knew he must have worried him when he skipped out on their planned lunch together. 

“I’m sorry,” Zuko said, making room on a small table in the center of the room for Sokka to set down the tray he was holding. There were little plates of cheeses and fruit laid out for them on the tray, as well as two cups of hot tea.

“Sometimes I wonder if you’re working yourself too hard,” Sokka said, grabbing one of the plates and sitting on the couch nearby. He kicked his feet up on the edge of the table. 

“No need to wonder, I can confirm that I am.” Zuko grabbed a plate for himself and sat across from Sokka on the matching couch. He couldn’t help the small sigh of joy that escaped him as he took his first bite of food all day. “I don’t really have a choice though. It’s my responsibility to make sure my people are safe and happy.”

“Well, I’m here to help,” Sokka said as he popped a few grapes into his mouth. “Just let me know what I can do.”

“Making sure I don’t starve to death is a good first step.”

Sokka laughed before reaching for his cup of tea. “Seriously, though. You should make sure you’re taking some time for yourself. Let me go to some of these meetings in your place.”

Zuko shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, but I really need to be there.”

Sokka grumbled something that Zuko couldn’t quite make out. 

“Anyway, it’s late. I’ll go to bed soon. You can head out, maybe spend some time in town. I heard a new dance tavern opened in the city,” Zuko offered, already placing his dishes on the tray and walking back towards his desk. 

“A new place to dance? That’s pretty cool.” Sokka stood and stretched. “Especially since as of a few years ago, dancing wasn’t something you could do in public here.”

“Lots of things have changed since then.” Zuko tightened his robe around himself and looked out the window above his desk. The sun had already set, and Zuko cursed at the sky for time going by too quickly. 

“Well, as much fun as that sounds, I’m pretty pooped too. Good night, Lord Zuko.” Zuko cringed as Sokka dipped into a low, obviously sarcastic, bow. Sokka shut the door behind him as he slinked away into the hallway. 

Zuko sighed. The short reprieve of Sokka’s visit had been welcome, even if Zuko essentially pushed him out the door. Sokka was right, he needed a break. Not necessarily another weeks-long vacation, but maybe a night out could be fun. It might be beneficial to come back to his duties refreshed. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he needed to hire more staff. He wouldn’t be able to maintain this level of go, go, go much longer. He scratched out a note to himself about it before diving back into the budget plan sprawled across his desk.

The next morning, Zuko dressed himself, dismissing his chambermaids, and walked into the breakfast room to see Sokka already digging in. He was reading the newspaper in one hand, a forkful of eggs in the other. 

“Good morning,” Zuko grumbled. 

Sokka looked up, eyebrows raised. He set down his newspaper and said, “Well, don’t you just look lovely today.”

Zuko recognized the sarcasm in his voice and knew that he must have messed something up when dressing himself this morning. “Is it my hair?” Zuko asked, eyes shooting up as if he would be able to see.

“Yeah, your hair, your clothes, everything is a little crooked.” Sokka laughed. “What grown man doesn’t know how to dress himself?”

“Hey!” Zuko stormed over to the table and sat down with a heavy thud. “There’s too many layers to these stupid outfits, how am I supposed to know which goes first?” He sneered at Sokka which only caused him to laugh more. 

“You would think that by now you would’ve figured it out!” Sokka continued laughing, hand over his belly, leaning back in his chair. “What’s the excuse for your hair? All you do is pull it back and stick a fancy pin in it!” 

Zuko grumbled in dissatisfaction, reaching up to touch his hair. “I should’ve checked the mirror before I left.”

“Yeah, you should’ve!” 

As Sokka continued to laugh and come up with other things to mock Zuko about, Zuko began eating. Eventually, even Sokka got bored of his own jokes and quieted down. “Anyway,” Zuko began, trying to put a cap on his anger. “I was thinking about what you said last night. You’re right, I’m pushing too hard. I was thinking maybe tonight, we could check out that dance tavern?” Zuko stared down at his plate, doing everything he could to seem nonchalant. 

Sokka sat up straight in his chair, eyebrows shooting to the top of his forehead. “Really? You’d want to go?”

“Only if you want to.”

“I must warn you, I’m a mean dancer. It’s just how we do things in the Water Tribe.”

“Is that so?” Zuko finally met Sokka’s eyes and smirked a little. Imagining Sokka dancing, mean or otherwise, was definitely entertaining. “You’ll have to teach me. Fire Nation kids not being allowed to dance didn’t lend me any skills.”

Zuko caught Sokka’s cheeks light up a deep red before he turned his face away. Zuko looked away too, out of instinct. “I can teach you.” Sokka’s tone was much more serious than it had been only moments ago. He took a deep breath before turning back towards Zuko. “I’ll show you how it’s done,” he exclaimed, as if trying again, his usual jovial tone returning. 

“Great,” Zuko said, grateful that the awkward tension had lifted. “I’ll find you at sundown.” 

After another meeting-filled day, Zuko stuck to his word and sought out Sokka after he changed into more casual wear. He went with a black cotton undershirt, a red and yellow overshirt, and long black pants. He wanted to look put together but not like a Fire Lord. He opted to keep his hair down. 

When Sokka stepped from his chambers, he too had changed. He was wearing a sleeveless blue top and deep blue pants. The garb was reminiscent of the style of clothes he used to wear, back during the war. Zuko got the impression that he was trying to show off his biceps to any ladies he may encounter that night. Sokka’s hair was pulled back in it’s short tail, the sides of his hair still overgrown. 

“Ready?” Zuko asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be!” 

As they began walking, Sokka threw an arm over Zuko’s shoulders. “Any guards coming with us tonight?” Sokka asked.

“Why would they when the best boomerang wielder in the Fire Nation will be there with me?”

“I’m pretty sure I’m the only boomerang wielder in the Fire Nation,” Sokka countered.

“Then there won’t be anyone who can stand against you,” Zuko said, his focus drifting to where Sokka’s hand was brushing against his shoulder. “But really, there will be a couple of guards, but they’ve been instructed to wait outside. We can handle ourselves.”

“It sure would be embarrassing if the Fire Lord got attacked at a dancing tavern. Even more so if he couldn’t hold his own in a fight.” Sokka giggled a little at whatever scenario he had imagined.

“I suppose it would be,” Zuko said, his voice a little dark. 

“Good thing that won’t happen!” Sokka jumped in, probably realizing the shift in Zuko’s mood. “Like you said, you’ve got the best boomerang wielder in the whole nation at your side.”

Zuko gave Sokka a sidelong glance and smiled.

When they finally arrived at the tavern, the guards obediently remaining outside, the two headed straight for the bar. The music was overwhelmingly loud for the relatively small place. The band was stationed in one corner of the room, blasting their upbeat music and tapping their feet. Patrons gathered in the middle of the room, gyrating and bobbing and some even jumping up and down. No one seemed to know how to find the beat and move to it, but they all appeared to be having fun. 

Sokka shouted an order at the bartender, still barely audible over all the commotion inside the building, and in a few moments, they were both presented with their own drinks. 

“What is this?” Zuko asked as loudly as he could, staring down at the clear liquid in his glass. It smelled strongly of alcohol. 

“Just drink, have a good time!” Sokka shouted back, throwing a hand on Zuko’s shoulder and giving him a shake. “Loosen up!”

Zuko hesitated for a moment but downed the drink in one go. Sokka cheered him on before gulping down his own drink. 

“Let’s dance!” Sokka yelled, grabbing Zuko by the wrist and dragging him toward the crowd of people at the center of the dance floor. Zuko noticed that the lights scattered around the room had colored glass over them, causing the walls and floor to be lit up in red, blue, and green. Despite only having one drink, Zuko was already feeling the effects as he stumbled over his own feet when Sokka pulled them to a stop in the center of the room. It must have been a strong drink. 

Sokka grabbed both of Zuko’s hands and pulled his arms back and forth, causing Zuko to sway to the beat of the music. Even as the heat from the alcohol spread across Zuko’s body, his limbs still felt stiff and awkward. He saw Sokka bouncing his hips from side to side, and even doing little side steps, but Zuko couldn’t make his body move that way. At least, not with only one drink in his system. He desperately wanted to have fun though, so after a quick trip back to the bar for another round, he returned to Sokka with a little more pep in his step. 

Sokka got a hold of Zuko’s hands again, this time swaying more enthusiastically, as if he too were excited to see Zuko have some fun. 

The world swam around Zuko. What was in that drink? Sokka beamed over at Zuko before dropping his hands to break down on his own. Sokka picked up his foot in one hand and tucked his other hand behind his head and skipped around, pulling his head in and his knee up. Zuko didn’t really understand what he was seeing, but - maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the atmosphere - he cracked up. He couldn’t help but laugh as Sokka jumped around, his body curving in on itself on every offbeat. Zuko tried to mimic him but immediately tripped. Luckily, Sokka reached out and caught him before he could faceplant. 

The two stood face to face, Sokka’s hands still under Zuko’s arms to steady him, mere inches from one another. Zuko could see the sweat that was steadily forming on Sokka’s brow. From this distance, he could also see the smooth curve of his exposed biceps. The room was certainly hot, and exerting themselves while dancing didn’t help. Sokka recovered and clasped one of Zuko’s hands and placed his other on Zuko’s hip. He shifted so that Zuko’s empty hand rested on Sokka’s shoulder. They began an exaggerated version of a ballroom dance, Sokka holding out their clasped hands as far as he could. He stiffened his legs and began waddling around like a plank of wood in their mock dance. Zuko followed suit, knowing how ridiculous they looked, and began snickering. They both kept a healthy distance from each other, their bodies only touching where their hands lay. Sokka donned a face of hyperbolic aristocracy, his nose tipped high in the air, looking down at Zuko with a smug look on his face. This was the first time Zuko noticed that Sokka was taller than him. Had it always been that way?

As the current song wound down, Sokka and Zuko separated themselves and walked back to the bar. Sokka ordered another drink for the both of them. This time, it tasted much better to Zuko than it had the first two times. Zuko could tell they both had become exhausted easily, their chests rising and falling dramatically with each breath, their clothes sticking to their skin with sweat. It was still summer, and despite the cool night air outside, the inside of this small building was thick with humidity, no breeze to relieve them. 

After downing two more drinks, Sokka sticking with just having one more, Zuko returned to the dance floor, this time dragging Sokka along. As if by magic, Zuko’s limbs finally moved with the same fluidity as Sokka’s, perhaps even more fluidity. His hips could shimmy, his legs could shake, his whole body felt looser. The two danced for several more songs, and with each passing minute, they floated closer and closer to each other, as if drawn by a new source of gravity. By the third song, Sokka’s arms were around Zuko’s shoulders. 

“I’m glad you’re having fun,” Sokka yelled, leaning close to Zuko’s ear so that he could be heard over the music. 

“I am having fun,” Zuko shouted back. He felt his voice go hoarse and some far away part of himself wondered how tomorrow would go with all his meetings where he would be required to talk. 

“I’m not gonna lie, it’s weird to hear you say that.” Sokka didn’t question him further, though, and just continued to dance. 

Every song that night had been bright, happy, and upbeat. It was exactly what Zuko needed. 

In between songs, Sokka leaned in and pressed his lips against Zuko’s ear to say something. Zuko couldn’t make out what he said though and just laughed. 

“I love you, Mai,” Zuko whispered, his eyes closed and head leaning back. 

And just like that, sobriety crashed into Zuko. He snapped his head back down to look at Sokka. He didn’t seem to have heard what Zuko said because he was still bouncing to the music. They were close, too close, Zuko realized. Their bodies were pressed together at almost every inch, Sokka’s arms slung over Zuko’s shoulders. Zuko stepped away from Sokka’s touch. They were way too close. He needed to get away, needed to clear his head. He tried blinking, but it didn’t help straighten the wobbling floor beneath him. How much had he had to drink? He couldn’t remember. 

Slowly, he walked toward the entrance of the tavern, putting every ounce of his concentration into staying up right. When he reached the door, Sokka was quickly behind him. 

“Are you okay?” Sokka asked, concern filling his eyes. 

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Zuko replied. He hadn’t felt it until he said it out loud, but suddenly pain ripped through his stomach. He clutched his abdomen as hard as he could and stumbled outside. The breeze was cool enough to calm Zuko down a bit. The guards were around them in an instant. They couldn’t help as Zuko hurled into a bush nearby, though. 

When Zuko finally recovered, he met Sokka’s gaze. Heat rushed to his cheeks at the look Sokka was giving him. “I’ll be fine,” Zuko said before leaning over the bush again. 

Two of the guards slung Zuko’s arms around their shoulders and helped him walk home, Sokka trailing behind. He didn’t seem nearly as affected as Zuko had been by the alcohol. When they got back to the palace, the guards laid Zuko on his bed as gently as they could before leaving the room. Sokka stayed behind and sat on the edge of the giant bed.

“Do you want me to stay with you?” Sokka asked. “You might throw up again.” Zuko noticed he cringed a bit, probably at the thought of having to help clean up Zuko’s vomit. 

“This is so embarrassing,” Zuko said, slinging an arm over his face to hide the blush that was growing on his cheeks. 

“I’m not gonna argue with that one.”

“I’ll be fine, get some sleep,” Zuko said, waving Sokka off. It must have been very late, and he was exhausted. He assumed Sokka was too. 

Sokka just nodded and stood. He squeezed Zuko’s shoulder in farewell before leaving him alone with his thoughts.


End file.
